Get the Girl Back
by Caffiene-K
Summary: "Sorry pal but you confessed your undying love to the wrong number... Wait please don't be sad... Oh no, now I have to comfort you. I did not sign up for this." An AU Caskett meeting. Previously titled Sweet Confession, Wrong Person.
1. Sweet confession, wrong person

_Credit for this prompt goes to roleplayinspiration, (a delightful tumblr blog). And the other text prompts, that are apart of a series called: The Text Series. (How original, I know)._

 _You can see the prompts on my tumblr: Caffeine-Kenzie. I have no idea how to get the URL link, but the post is under Text Prompts._

 _This is marked as complete. I just thought it would be a cute, little oneshot to share with you. But knowing me I'll probably expand._

 _Reviews/_ _Constructive criticism/_ _Comments are appreciated :)_

* * *

She doesn't know what time it is, only knows that her phone should not be ringing at this hour.

With blurry eyes Kate finds the source of the ringing; swipes it from her bedside table and barely has time to check the caller ID before she answers it with a rough "Beckett."

She already knows who it is. It's most likely the precinct wanting to disturb her already shaky sleeping pattern further, by announcing a body drop. It's either that or some bar owner who's throwing her father out and needs her to come and pick him up.

Kate's already flipping her covers off, throwing her legs over the side of her bed and feeling blindly for the lamp switch. She waits for the address to be spewed out to her, or the familiar "Are you a relative of Jim Beckett?"

Instead, she's surprised when a male voice greets her.

"You know what? I'm pissed."

 _Pissed? Is this a prank call?_ She thinks, pulling the phone from her ear and staring at it.

It is an unknown number, but she had just assumed that it was a new bar her dad had manage to find. She had nearly every bar in Manhattan in her call log.

"I'm sorry, I–" she tries to interrupt the other end, but the male caller begins to talk again.

"You want to know why I'm pissed?" The male person starts and — Jesus Christ — she wants to know what the unsuspecting person, whoever this guy thought she was, did to deserve this wake-up call.

The caller doesn't pause to wait for an answer. "I'm pissed because it's 2am and I can't sleep, because you won't get the hell out of my mind," he grits out.

 _Oh, well at least she knows the time now._

His voice brings something out of her, and she can almost feel like she's heard that voice before.

"Will?" She guesses, thinking back to her ex-boyfriend of only 3 months who had soundly left her for a federal job in Boston.

"Will? Is that the guy you're leaving me for?"

 _Okay, not Will. But seriously, is this guy drunk?_

"I'm sorry?" Kate says, hoping that her unfamiliar voice will hint at his mistake.

She walks out of her room in a confused manor, deciding that she needs coffee; even at 2 in the morning.

"Save your apologies," he snarls, but it sounds different, unnatural. Like the malice in his voice is usually reserved for a warm, boisterous laugh. "You know that your stuff is everywhere in the loft? Your clothes are in my closet, your travel mug is on the bench and your _scent_ is on my pillow."

 _Okay, this is definitely not a prank call._

"And tonight was the first night that I realized _I love you._ Your scent on my pillow is what I want to wake up in the morning to. I want to stand next to you late at night, my hips brushing your as we do our normal night routine. I want to bring you coffee in the morning, just so I can see a smile on your face. I want to do all these things because I love you. I love you and I don't want to lose you. I would take a bullet for you."

Kate's breath catches, the words of this unknown caller– who she now knows is a sweet, sweet man– cutting into her. She can feel her already broken heart breaking further. And she wishes she had someone like this man to repair it.

"Please say something," he whispers, the desperation splashing across his voice. "Kyra–"

 _Oh God. He just confessed his love to the wrong person, and I let him._ Kate thought in a brief panic.

"I'm sorry pal. You just confessed your undying love to the wrong person." She attempts to go for a light, humorous let down, but fails miserably. She can't help but let the heavy confession twist her stomach in knots.

She shouldn't feel guilty. She didn't even sign up for this.

Kate can't hear anything but his heavy breathing and she debates hanging up, but no. That wouldn't be fair to him, not in the least.

"So, I uh- guess I have to do that speech again, huh?" He starts out light, but Kate can't help but catch the crack in his voice, near the end.

"I'm so sorry, I really should've mentioned it at the start," Kate apologizes, biting her lip in guilty fashion.

"No, it's not your fault. I should um– check that I dialled the right number, before I–" he trails off. Kate listens as a sob rings out through the speaker.

"No, don't be sad!" She blurts out, a hand flying to her mouth.

She's not even whole. She's empty and sad and– God she's such a hypocrite. But even if he is a stranger, she can offer him comfort that she's never received– that she's never _allowed_ herself to receive.

"I'm sorry, it's late, or early," he replies with a sniffle, and she feels the corners of her mouth lift at his kindness. "I should let you go back to sleep."

Kate bits her lip again, looking at her coffee machine. "You sound like you're going through a tough time, and there's no way I'm getting back to sleep now," she pauses when she hears him murmur out a "sorry," a small smile escaping her. "Tell me about this girl that you're so in love with."

"Um, well." She can her the sheepishness in his voice and cringes, wondering if that was the right thing to say. "We're strangers. How do I know you're not some crazy, serial killer?"

Kate can't help the laugh that escapes. At least he's cautious enough to be careful. "My name's Kate. And I actually help catch the killers."

There's an audible gasp on the other side, and she wonders if the next thing she'll be hearing is a dialling tone.

"You're a cop?" He sounds astonished, in a good way.

"Homicide Detective, 2nd grade," she replies, nervous at giving away information.

"That is so hot!"

"I could be a fifty year-old lady. Would it still be hot?"

"No way, you are not fifty," he exclaims.

Kate raises her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Nah, you've got that bedroom voice. You're pretty."

Kate shakes her head in amusement, feeling a swell of pride that her no longer sounds upset. "So now that _I'm_ not a stranger, what about you? How do I know you're not a serial killer."

"Oh yeah, right," he stammers. "I murder people, in books. I'm a writer, just released the first book of my new series."

"A writer huh? Impressive. Anything I've read?" Kate questions.

"Not sure. I've got a few books out, crime, mysteries. My publisher said that this new series could be my break," he explains.

"Oh, I never did get a name," Kate implies.

"Rick. I uh, go by Richard Castle when I write."

Kate nearly drops the phone in surprise.

She's been talking to her favourite author the whole time, and suddenly she doesn't mind being woken up at 2 in the morning.

"Kate, are you there?"

Kate swallows, shaking off the shock that she's actually talking to Richard-freaking-Castle.

"So, Kyra," she mentions, offering a distraction. "You love her, huh?"

Rick laughs; a light, floating sound that ends warmth through her stomach. "What gave it away? My lengthy, embarrassing proclamation?"

"I thought it was a very sweet proclamation," Kate admitted. She repositioned the phone in between her shoulder and ear, attempting to pour herself coffee.

"Sweet, maybe. Embarrassing, yes."

Kate finishes off her coffee, taking the mug to her couch. "So what made you confess your undying love for Kyra?"

"Er- well–"

"You really don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine. You kind of deserve an explanation," he laughed nervously. "Her parents don't exactly approve of our relationship. Even though I've released a few books, they don't think writing is a steady job. They like to say that I lack character, but I know it's about my financial status."

"That's too bad Castle."

"Castle?"

"Cop thing."

"Still hot."

"Thank you?"

"What about you, Kate? What– oh, do you have a boyfriend? You probably do, I really shouldn't be talking to you. I'm so sorry."

Kate cuts off his rambling. "Relax Castle, I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh. Why not? I mean, you sound like a great person."

Kate sighs, shaking her head. "It's complicated."

"I like complicated," he blurts out unintentionally, surprising both himself and Kate. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean, complicated equals mystery and I like solving mysteries."

"I don't think I'm a mystery you want to solve," Kate informs, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Maybe I do," he replies.

Kate yelps as the coffee burns her tongue; the standard cool down period not working for Kate.

"Are you okay Kate?" Castle asks, worry evident.

"Just burnt my tongue. Hot coffee," she explains, a light blush tinging her cheeks.

"Ah. Speaking of coffee, how would you like to get one? Tomorrow, if you're free, that is."

Kate reminds herself to breathe. She's not a good person to get along with, and this is Richard Caste she's talking to.

"Castle, you have Kyra," she reminds him.

"Just as friends Kate. Plus we can gossip about why you don't have a boyfriend and you can help me win Kyra back," Castle says. "Please

"You're kind of metrosexual, you know?" Kate asks, laughing at his slightly girly response.

"Am not!" He protests.

"I actually planned on staying home tomorrow. Day off, laze around, you know?"

"My shout," he adds

"Well, I guess..."

"Kaaaateee," he drags out

"Okay, okay." She caves. "God, you're easy."

"I am not easy," he bites back, though there was humour in his voice. "I'll text you the coffee shop address. How about 10? In the morning?" He suggests.

"Sure," Kate replies, a yawn coming through.

"Right, you should go to sleep, Kate," he says in a soft voice.

"I'm good," she tries to convince, but fails when another yawn escapes.

"Sleep, Kate. Gotta be awake for our coffee date, remember?"

"Not a date, Castle," she reminds him, walking into her kitchen and dumping her cup in the sink. "You love Kyra, remember?"

"How could I forget?" He laughs. "Going to sleep now?"

Kate does a quick brush of her teeth, before walking back to her bedroom. "Yep, goodnight-morn– see you at 10, Castle," she responds, sliding back under her covers.

"See you at 10, Kate."

"Hey, Castle?" Kate calls, her voice sleepy.

"Yeah Kate?"

"Make sure you text the right number."


	2. How about, a life-time supply of coffee?

Despite her early morning wake up call, Kate rises with the sun. She foregoes the coffee in favor of water, taking small sips from the bottle as she laces her running shoes up.

The morning had always been Kate's favorite time to run. The air was crisp and the city, calmer. There was almost always the scent of morning coffee in the air too.

Kate puts her headphones in, mentally tracking her route in her head.

* * *

She finishes her 5 miles with a sprint towards her building, legs burning and breaths labored as she skids to a stop.

"Detective Beckett!" Bernie, her doorman, shouts, running towards her with an umbrella. It had started raining somewhere in the middle of her run and she hadn't even noticed.

"You're shaking," Bernie acknowledges, holding the umbrella over her head and ushering inside.

"I'm okay Bernie," Kate laughs shaking her head. "It's just a bit of water."

"You really need to take care of yourself," Bernie reprimands, closing the umbrella before they step into the lobby. He reminds Kate of her late grandfather. "You're going to get sick. And we wouldn't want one of New York's finest in bed while the criminals run around."

"I'll be okay Bernie. Thank you for your concern," she thanks him, starting towards the elevator. "Say hi to Maria and the grand kids for me?" She calls back with a wave of her hand.

"Will do!" He shouts his reply, just as the elevator doors close.

She's alone in the elevator and winces slightly as water drips from her clothes and into a growing puddle. She's thankful that no one gets on the elevator when it arrives on her floor and she quickly dashes towards her apartment, hoping that there's no water trail behind her.

Kate steps into the warm apartment, heading for the fridge where she grabs her half-empty water bottle. She drowns the water, grabbing a second bottle before making her way towards the bathroom.

She strips down, hoping into the shower and rinsing the sweat off her body. Her legs burn in a familiar way and she needs a bath to relax her muscles.

Kate hops out of the shower, running the water she needs for a bath. She's just about to sink into the water when her phone starts beeping from the bathroom counter.

She groans and quickly grabs it before sinking down into the water, hoping it isn't the precinct requiring her assistance, even on her day off.

The hot water is almost scalding but it still nurtures her tense muscles, soothing and relaxing them. Kate lets out a contented sigh, her eyes slipping closed.

Her phone starts beeping again, capturing her attention as she reaches for it.

 _Coffee at 10, still?_

How could she forget? The second message tugs a smile from her.

 _Damn, did I text the wrong number again?_

Kate swallows down her laughter, responding back to the message with a confirmation.

She stays in the bath until the water turns lukewarm, prompting her to hop out and head to her bedroom.

The coffee date– _not a date_ , she reminds herself– had been in the back of her mind all morning and only now she fully realized what she agreed to.

She was meeting Richard Castle– her favorite author– and it wasn't a big deal. They were just having coffee as new acquaintances. He already had a girl he loved and he would probably be disinterested once he actually met her.

Kate shrugged off the thoughts, checking the time and realizing she had an hour before she was supposed to be at the coffee shop.

* * *

The doorbell above the wooden door chimes as Kate enters the coffee shop, the sweet aroma of coffee beans and flavored syrups invading her senses. The small coffee shop was relatively quiet, with a businessman on his laptop in one of the middle tables and a young couple in the corner booth. She glances around the room, noticing a tall figure lingering around the small display of books, near the back.

She inches towards the figure, planning on dropping a remark when he turns around, clashing into her and sending her toppling towards the ground. His arms shoot out quickly, wrapping around Kate's torso and pulling her back to balance.

"Wow, a proclamation of love for the wrong person and knocking her off her feet. You sure know how to charm a girl, huh?" Kate says, brushing herself off and coming face to face with Richard Castle.

"I take it you're Kate?" He smiles back at her, a crooked grin that sends butterflies into her stomach.

"I take it you're Richard Castle?" She bites back, her tone challenging.

He laughs. "I guess you already knew," he answers, motioning towards a table. "Would you like to sit?"

"Sure."

He pulls out her chair like a gentleman, his fingers brushing ever so slightly against her shoulders. The small notion sends a charge of electricity through her body that she tries to ignore.

"So," he starts, sitting opposite her. "I would firstly like to apologize for the word vomit I spewed at you last night," he cuts himself off as they both share a laugh. "I admit that I was a bit drunk and I'm sorry for the embarrassment."

Kate shakes her head, the corners of her lips lifting upwards. "It wasn't that embarrassing," she reassures him.

"Really?" He tilts his head sideways, an adorable look overshadowing his features.

"I actually thought it was pretty sweet." Kate shrugs.

"Sweet?"

"Girls like that sort of stuff y'know? That sappy, cheesy speech that you call word-vomit? It's gold to getting a girl's heart," Kate reveals.

"You don't seem like the type of girl who would fall for that," Castle says suspiciously and damn. She's supposed to be great at concealing her emotions, who she is. She's supposed to be a closed book that no one could read.

"For me, actions speak louder than words," she prompts. "You can always say something but it's harder to actually do something."

"Wow, that's deep," Castle speaks after a minute. "And slightly cliche, whatever. Can I use that in my book?" He asks, brandishing a pen and notebook that he pulled from nowhere.

"Book? I thought you were on a 2-year break."

Castle's face lights up, a smirk plastered across his mouth. "So you're a fan?"

She pulls back, slightly shocked at his blunt question. "Not a fan," she rejects, the lie slipping out easily. "More like a person who knows of your work."

"Ahhh, so that's the reason you agreed to come on this date? A lonely man, just like Tom Hank's character in _'Sleepless in Seattle'?_ " He guesses with a cocky grin. "Women, huh?"

"Women?" Kate scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Don't categorize every single woman into your idea that they all want to sleep with you,"she spits out with a glare. "Men, huh?" She bites back, her face changing from content to annoyed.

His reply is on the tip of his tongue when they're interrupted.

"Can I get you guys anything?" A peppy voice asks.

Both heads turn to look up at the waiter standing at their table, a tall brunette sporting a brown apron and a messy bun.

"Ladies first," Castle offers, his smirk widening when Kate rolls her eyes.

"I'll have a tall latte with two pumps of vanilla, please," she answers politely.

The young girl scribbles down the order on her mini-notebook before she turns to Castle.

"A caramel macchiato, please," he orders, amping up his smile. The young girl smiles back, her cheeks a little flushed as she turns on her heel, leaving them alone.

"So," Castle says again, this time it's slightly awkward.

"So, Kyra," Kate brings up, watching as Castle's eyes fall onto the table. "She sounds pretty great."

"She is," he replies. He picks the pen and notebook back up, leaning onto the table with a wicked grin. "You're going to help me win her back."

She raises an eyebrow. "I am?"

"Yep," he responds confidently.

"No," Kate replies, crossing her arms across her chest.

Castle goes from confident to shocked in a second.

"What? You've never heard 'no' before?" She questions. When he doesn't reply, Kate continues. "Castle, you can't actually expect everybody to fall at your feet, because you're a famous writer."

"Kaaatteee," he whines, looking like a little boy. "I don't know how women work. The only advice I get is from my mother and I consider you a friend. Will you pretty please help me win Kyra back?"

"We've only known each other…" she pauses, looking at her watch. "...for 42 minutes, you can't consider me a friend. I could be a criminal."

Castle shakes his head. "I was drunk last night, but not drunk enough to forget that you said you were a cop last night. That's super awesome by the way."

"Castle, I'm not helping you win Kyra back," Kate huffs, biting her lip. "It's not my place."

"Kate please? I'm buying you coffee," he reasons. "Hell, I'll buy you a life supply of coffee if you help me."

"A life supply?" She rose an eyebrow, taming down the smirk that threatens to break free.

"A life supply," he confirms, looking at her with wide eyes. "If you want me to beg, I will. I'll get down on my knees, and beg. My mother's an actress so trust me, I know how to make a scene." He stands up, walking around to her side, progressing down to his knees before she breaks.

"Fine," she gives in with an exasperated sigh.

"Fine?" He perks up, almost knocking over a nearby chair when he jumps up. "You'll help me?"

"Yes," Kate grits out between clenched teeth. "If you sit down."

The family ordering at the counter shoot them strange glances, prompting Kate to sink lower into her chair.

"A vanilla latte and caramel macchiato?" The waitress from before speaks, placing the two cups down.

"Thank you," Castle says for both of them, grinning at Kate as the waitress leaves.

Kate brings the cup to her lips, eyes slipping closed as the sweet scent of vanilla and coffee filters through her nose and the taste explodes on her tongue. The liquid is heaven on earth to Kate.

"Wow you really like coffee, huh?" Castle guesses, drawing her out of her coffee-filled haze.

Kate rolls her eyes before she looks to him, laughing at the foam mustache he was sporting.

"What?" Castle asks mindlessly.

She stifles her laugh with a cough. "Uh, you have a little–" she gestures to his upper lip.

"Huh?" He brushes a hand

Kate reaches over the table, stealing his napkin and wiping the foam away. Her hand lingers near his cheek as her eyes flicker from his lips back to his eyes.

 _He loves someone else, Kate._ She reminds herself.

"Better?" He whispers.

"Better," Kate confirms, leaning back in her seat. She takes another sip of her vanilla coffee, trying to fight down the blush that is slowly spreading across her cheeks. "Tell me about Kyra."

Castle shakes his head after he places his coffee down, visibly gulping down the liquid and Kate is glad that there's no foam mustache this time.

"We have plenty of time to talk about Kyra. I want to learn about you."

She's taken aback by the statement, figured that their talk was going to be all about himself and Kyra. She wasn't nearly half as interesting as Kyra sounded.

"There's nothing really interesting about me," she shrugs.

"There's always something interesting about someone. And you Kate, you have layers." He whispers it like it's a secret. A secret that sends Kate's eyebrows furrowing.

"There's a story to you. And I, as a writer, love uncovering stories about people," he explains.

"I don't think you want to know my story," Kate mumbles quietly.

"20 questions?" Castle asks unexpectedly, not missing a beat.

"What?"

"20 questions," he explains slowly, as if he's talking to a kid. "You know the game where one person asks another person a question and they answe-"

"I know how it works Castle," she interrupts, trying to keep her tone light. "I'll start. Favorite food?"

"That's hard. Either Funfetti Spaghetti or a Smorlette," he answers.

"A what?"

"A smorlette. A smore mixed with an omlette," he informs.

"That sounds disgusting," Kate responds, pulling a face.

"Don't knock it 'til you try it," he shrugs. "Okay, my turn."

The game goes on for a lengthy time, the only interruption coming when the waitress comes back to pick up their empty cups. Most of Kate's questions and answers are simple and easy, while Castle fires random questions and stranger answers.

Kate can't help laughing as Castle spews into a story about a high school adventure that included a cow and getting expelled. Her eyes drift from his crazy arm gestures to the clock behind the counter, the time surprising her.

"Oh wow, it's late," she injects once he's finished his story. The time had flown by quickly, hours passing by without either of them realizing it. "We should probably go."

"Yeah," Castle agrees, disappointment flickering in his eyes briefly. He stands, helping Kate into her coat. He pays for the coffee and leaves a generous tip, reminding Kate of their deal when she starts to pull out her own wallet. She grudgingly accepts, trudging to the door with a pout.

"Until next time, detective," he bids when they step outside, both of them ready to go their separate ways.

"Can't you just say _'bye'_ or _'text you later'_?" She questions, pulling her jacket tighter around her.

"Until next time, is more hopeful," he responds wistfully, before throwing her a smirk. "But I will text you later."

She rolls her eyes for what seems like the hundredth time that day, biting down on her lip. "Just make sure you text the right number this time."

"Hey! I managed to call Kyra's actual number after we hung up," he reveals.

Right she almost forgot. He loves someone else.

"See you later Castle," she says with a shake of her head, waving behind her as she starts walking.

"Until next time!" She hears him shout back, his hopeful response sending a surge of something unfamiliar through her.


	3. Let's make a mess in the library

_A/N: I plan on introducing Lanie, the boys and Martha soon :)_

 _(Skip to the story and don't read the next part if you're not interested in the recent BTS drama)._

 _To those who reviewed/PMed in regards to the season 9 speculation._

 _To answer the question of whether I will be watching a season 9 without Kate Beckett, simply, no. I love both Kate and Stana, as well as Lanie and Tamala, but to me, there is no Castle without Beckett. It would be the same if Castle/Nathan Fillion weren't on the show. I'm hoping they don't kill her off, the same way Castle killed off Derick. Kate still has such a long way to go and it's disappointing that she won't be around in the future._

 _I'm grateful for the 8 years and seasons of Castle we received and I plan on having a season 1-8 marathon, mainly focusing on the first 4, (maybe 5) seasons, (because seasons 1-3 are just ugh favs and season 4 has the angst that I crave). The show is a true gem and will always be a passion of mine._

* * *

"Okay," Castle starts, taking a small sip of coffee out of his takeaway cup.

He had kept true on his promise to text her that night after their coffee date, managing to bribe her with coffee so she would meet him again; same time next week.

This time, they were at the library.

They had hidden themselves in a lonely corner, away from prying eyes and the old, grumpy librarian who would've told them off for bringing food and coffee into the building. They're both tucked up in large, leather chairs at opposite sides of a small, round table.

"This," Castle pauses, spreading various materials onto the wooden table. He taps on a picture of himself and a brunette, both shooting wide smiles at the camera. "This is Kyra."

Kate nods with a smile, tearing a small piece off of the bearclaw Castle had also bought her and popping it into her mouth.

"So this is the famous Kyra?" Kate asks, already knowing the answer. Castle nods nevertheless, eyeing the picture with reminiscent eyes. "She's beautiful."

The comment manages to snap Castle out of his haze, his back straightening as he flips open the notebook on the table.

"Yeah, she is," he says quietly, picking up a pen. "So how are we going to win her back?"

Kate takes another piece of her bearclaw, chewing thoughtfully. "For me to help you win her back, you have to explain the situation to me."

Castle tilts his head in confusion. "The situation?"

"Why you're trying to win her back. What made her leave in the first place," she explains, sinking back into the leather chair.

"Oh." He pulls a 'duh' look, emitting a laugh from Kate before he spills into the story of how he and Kyra met and why she left him.

"So the problem is that it's her parents that don't approve of your relationship?" Kate questions after he's finished his story. Castle shrugs, taking a big bite out of his untouched bear claw.

"Kyra's thinking about moving to London at the end of the semester. But I'm sure that her parents are the reason she moved out of the loft," he explains, his words muffled by the strawberry-iced bear claw.

"Gross," Kate blanches, throwing a napkin at him as her nose scrunches up. The napkin hits his cheek before falling to his lap. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Castle."

"Like this?" Castle asks, opening his mouth wider.

"Castle," Kate hisses but can't help the laughter that bubbles in her throat. She shakes her head, her nose still scrunched. "You're so childish."

He offers a wink in return before swallowing down the bear claw with a gulp of coffee. "C'mon Kate, you need to lighten up."

She shrugs in reply letting the comment slide and pulling a spare notebook towards her. She pulls her knees up onto the leather chair, propping the puppy-covered notebook on her knees.

"Puppies?" Kate raises an eyebrow in question.

"My laptop was getting fixed because I had spilled apple juice onto it and inspiration for a scene that involved a puppy struck, so I grabbed a bunch of puppy-covered notebooks and wrote in them," he explains quickly, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"This one's empty," Kate points out, lifting the notebook up.

He smiles sheepishly. "I made it through two notebooks before I deleted the scene."

"Ah," she replies with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Don't judge me," he mumbles, sounding not unlike a petulant child.

"I'm not," Kate replies, her tone unconvincing. "So Kyra's moving to London at the end of the semester?"

"Subtle subject change," Castle notes with a nod, smirking at her eye roll. "But yes, she's thinking about moving to London."

"To live?"

"Study," he confirms.

Kate takes it in, ducking her eyes to the notebook and scribbling on it.

"What're you doing?" he asks, leaning over the table to get a look at the notebook.

"Making a list of why Kyra left so we can discredit them," Kate murmurs, ignoring the way his scent washes over her.

"Huh, you're pretty smart," he compliments her.

"Yeah well, when you study pre-law you get good at defeating arguments." Kate replies.

She dots the end of her sentence and lifts her head to look up at him. Big mistake.

He's closer than she thought he was, his proximity overwhelming as she finds herself staring into bright, blue eyes. His nose is almost brushing first and their closeness steals her breath.

He pulls back first, sliding back into his seat and taking the moment with him.

"You studied pre-law?"

Kate fights down the flush of her cheeks and nods. "Stanford."

"Wow. I could totally see you as a kick-ass lawyer," he muses, their previous moment seemingly forgotten. "Why did you become a cop?"

"Kyra, Castle. Let's focus on that," she deflects, crossing her arms over her chest.

She's glad that her cheeks have returned to their normal color by the time she meets Castle's eyes. He's looking at her with an amused expression, his eyebrows lifted slightly and mouth curved.

"What?" Kate asks, lowering her legs to the ground and throwing the notebook onto the table.

Castle shakes his head, sitting up. "Nothing, nothing."

Kate rolls her eyes, reaching for her semi-warm coffee and downing half of the remaining liquid. "Have you talked to Kyra since she left?"

It's Castle's cheeks that flush this time.

"Yeah, after I accidentally called you, I rang Kyra after. It went to voicemail but she rang back and said that she was busy for the rest of the week. We've talked once or twice and she said she needed time."

"I'm sorry, Rick."

"Don't worry about it," he waves her off with a lighthearted laugh. "You've only met me what, a week ago? It's hardly your problem."

"It's my problem now," she replies confidently. "I'm going to help you win Kyra back."

"How?" Castle asks curiously.

Kate picks the notebook up again, scribbling in it quickly.

"You said that she packed up all of her stuff from the loft, right?" Castle nods at her question. "Plus, she said she was busy for the whole week, so we can only assume that her tactic is avoidance."

"I can see why you're a detective," he injects, enthralled by her speech.

"Anyway." She shoots him a pointed glare that warns him to be quiet. "Since you've given her a week of space we can continue on with the plan."

"Which is?"

Kate throws him another glare and he shies away from it, murmuring an apology.

"You're going to make her fall in love with you again," she states simply, continuing when he looks like he's about to interrupt. "Ask her out in the same way you did when you first met, take her to the same places you went on your first date. Redo everything to show her how much you so obviously love her."

"You really think this is going to work?" He asks giddily, almost bouncing in his seat.

"Once she sees how much you love her, I'm sure it will."

He explodes from his chair after her proposal, knocking his knee into the table and sending it crashing to the floor. Their coffees spill from their cups, splashing onto the table, notebooks and floor.

"What is going on here?"

They both look up with shocked glances to see the old, gray-haired librarian standing at a nearby bookshelf. She squints at the pair, reaching around her neck for the glasses that are hanging down.

A hand clasps around Kate's hand and her eyes dart up to Castle's wide ones.

"Run."

He pulls on her hand and turns around, darting to the opposite side where the librarian isn't standing. Kate follows, weaving through the bookshelves as Castle leads her towards the back entrance.

There's nobody chasing them, no security guard following and ordering them to stop, but it sends a burst of adrenaline through Kate; has her dashing in Castle's footsteps until they burst through the back door.

They erupt into a fit of laughter as they break into the fresh air, the running combined with the laughter leaving them breathless.

"That was awesome," Castle gasps out, bending over to catch his breath. His hand slips out of hers and she finds herself missing the warmth.

"You count running away from an old lady as fun?" She breathes out, lacing her hands behind her head and breathing deeply. They both break out into another round of laughter, sobering up after a few minutes and beginning their walk back to the main street.

"I can't believe we just left our mess their," Kate says, shaking her head.

They walk side by side, slyly passing the front of the library before crossing the street.

"It's fine. Mrs Daffy gets paid quite a lot with all the donations the writers give," Castle responds nonchalantly.

Kate shoots him a look, ready to reply with a joke about his wealth when there's a ringing sound. She realizes it's not her phone ringing when Castle starts to pat his pockets, pulling out his phone.

His eyes go wide as he looks at the screen.

"It's her. It's Kyra," he says with wide eyes and a surprised tone. "What do I do?" He asks, slightly panicked.

Kate rolls her eyes. "Answer it maybe?" Her voice drips with sarcasm.

He follows her orders, answering the phone on the fifth ring.

"Cas– Rick," he greets, correcting his momentary stumble.

Kate steps back to allow him some privacy, walking to the nearby swing set and planting herself into the swing.

She digs the tops of her shoes into the dirt, pushing herself back and forwards. Her gaze travels from the dirt towards the man near the sidewalk. He's grinning from where she can tell, a bright smile that could melt any girl's heart.

Her eyes travel back to the dirt until she hears footsteps approaching.

Castle's jogging towards her with a smile that can only mean good news.

"She said yes, Kate," he reveals excitedly, slinking down into the swing next to her. "I asked her if we could meet up next week and she said yes."

His smile is huge and genuine, his eyes bright with a spark that she hadn't seen before. A spark that only Kyra could bring out.

"That's great Castle," she says with her own smile. She's honestly genuinely happy for him. He and Kyra deserved their fairy tale and she was glad that they were inching closer towards it but there was something swirling around in her chest. Something unfamiliar and something she didn't like.

"You're honestly a good luck charm," Castle reveals, still lost up in his latest development with Kyra. "Thank you so much Kate."

"I haven't done anything," she starts before Castle turns, cutting her off.

"Are you kidding me?" he interrupts in a disbelieving tone. "You've proved that you can be a good friend and therapist," he starts with an eyebrow wiggle that she can't help but laugh at. "And just today you've given me amazing advice and hope that I can get back together with Kyra."

"Rick," Kate whispers, her eyes softening at his kind words.

"No Kate, thank you." He gives her a grateful, serious stare and she returns her own genuine smile.

His smile is wider, showing the pearly-white of his teeth. "I'm going to put all your extraordinary advice to use and win Kyra's heart back."

She has no idea why his words sting so much.

* * *

 _Note: Title has changed from Sweet Confession, Wrong Person to Get the Girl Back._


	4. Talk me to sleep

_Note: Filler chapter._

 _Thank you so much for all the support :)_

* * *

With a nudge of her foot sending her front door closed, Kate shuffles into her apartment, a plastic bag of Chinese slung over her arm. It's late, almost twelve hours since she bid goodbye to Castle with an excuse about heading to the precinct.

It hadn't been a false excuse. She had in fact found her way to the 12th precinct, finishing up as much paperwork as she could before a call about a body drop had come in. She had assisted the first grade detective– a tall, intimidating but cheerful man, named Holst– to the scene, along with the other second grade detective: Esposito.

They were investigating the death of Karl Redmond, a drug-dealer who had been found in a dumpster. Montgomery had informed them that a team would be coming in to assist with the investigation and Kate had assumed that it would be their narcotics team. There had been a commotion in the bullpen as a large group of black-suits filtered in from the elevator.

Karl Redmond was actually Louis Prescott, an undercover FBI agent who was apart of a team that were planning to take down an international drug cartel.

Holst had spent an hour in Montgomery's office with the leading FBI agent Ferris, both men appearing to be arguing, from where Beckett was positioned. Holst had come out of the office with a disgruntled expression while Ferris featured a smirk that made Kate glare at his arrogance.

Holst had reluctantly handed the case over to the FBI, telling Beckett and Esposito that no one outside of the FBI were allowed to know about the case, not even the NYPD. They feared that there could be a mole located through different law enforcement branches.

Kate had finished the hectic day off by filling out the added paperwork and handing them over to the FBI agents. One of their stereotypical, black suit agents had even attempted to give Kate his number. She had taken it with no intention of ever calling him

Now it was 11 p.m and Kate was shoveling shrimp fried rice into her mouth, in an unattractive way. The only thing she had eaten was the bear claw Castle had brought her earlier in the day, leaving her with the realization that she really needed to monitor her eating times.

There had been a slow throbbing in her head the whole day and now that the exhaustion had weighed in on her, it felt like someone was hammering into her brain.

She was in the middle of adding the styrofoam boxes to the growing collection in her fridge, when her phone began ringing. She was technically on call but still prayed it wasn't a body drop.

"Beckett," she spoke into her phone, proud that no exhaustion showed in her voice.

"Beckett?" The person on the other line laughs, a deep sound that echoed through her apartment.

Kate huffs, closing the fridge door and grabbing a glass. She fills it with water before continuing on to the couch, placing it down before she collapses onto the couch.

"What do you want Castle?"

"You sound exhausted," he points out.

He's not wrong, she is exhausted, her head is killing her. But nevertheless, Kate rolls her eyes, letting out a puff of breath that lifts part of her bangs up.

"It's almost midnight Castle, what do you want?" She doesn't think she can take any more jokes from him, not right now. Not when she's ready to fall into bed and sleep forever.

"Kate, are you okay? You sound really tired." He sounds genuinely concerned, even if his words are fired at her a mile a minute. She grabs the glass off the table and downs the water.

"I can hang up if you–"

"No," she cuts him off, breathes the words out as she squeezes her eyes shut. "I just have a headache." She grits the words out through clenched teeth, forcing herself off the couch as a sharp pain resounds through her head. She slows her progress as a wave of dizziness passes through, her vision slightly blurred.

She stills herself for a moment, not noticing the glass that slips out of her hand.

"Kate! Shit, are you okay?"

Right, Castle.

She brings the phone back to her ear, grimacing at his words that sound like they're being yelled.

"Kate, where do you live? I'm coming over. Oh god, what if she's unconscious? Shit, fuck–"

"Rick," she interrupts, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. "I'm fine."

"But there was a crash," he says and Kate can hear something like the sound of keys jingling in the background.

"It was just a glass of water. I'm fine," she murmurs quietly, stepping around the broken glass.

She grabs her dustpan from underneath the sink and trudges back towards the mess. She places the phone down but not before Castle grabs her attention.

"Where do you live?"

His words shock through her aching body, leaves her almost frozen before she bends down, starting to brush the glass into the dustpan.

"I'm okay Rick," she murmurs, cradling the phone between her shoulder and neck.

"Shit, yeah you're right," he laughs into the phone. "I'm sorry I didn't know what I was thinking."

"Castle- Rick, it's not a problem. I'm fine," she insists, sweeping her hand across the floor. She winces, trying to hide the involuntary hiss that escapes when a small piece of glass embeds itself in her palm.

"Kate," he says in a low, warning tone. "I honestly don't want to be pulled into an interrogation room under suspicious circumstances, because I was the last person on the phone with you before you died. So text me in the morning or I swear to god–"

"Okay Castle," she mentions with a roll of her eyes. "I'll text you in the morning."

"Good," he replies, letting out a relieved sigh. "Will you…"

"Will I what?" Kate prompts, throwing out the glass and placing the dustpan back.

Castle sighs and she can almost imagine him running his hand through his hair.

"Just forget about it. It...it was stupid," he murmurs, his voice dropping low.

Kate flicks off the light in her lounge before heading towards her bathroom.

"Castle, I've heard stupid things from you before. Just spit it out," she urges, curious to know what he was so hesitant about.

"I just...will you stay on the phone until you fall asleep. Just so I know you're okay?"

 _Oh God, this guy was too sweet._

She's brushing her teeth when he starts speaking again.

"You know what? Just forget it. It was a stupid idea and–"

"Yes," she blurts out, her mouth filled with toothpaste which she spits out.

"What?"

"Yes," Kate answers, slipping under her covers. "Though I'm already getting into bed so you don't need to wait that long."

"Ohhh, getting into bed huh?" He smirks.

"Don't get any ideas," she bounces back, settling into the bed.

"Speaking of ideas," he starts giddily. "You have to help me with ideas for my date with Kyra."

Right, Kyra.

"Right, yeah sure," she murmurs back, her mind already starting to fuzz over. "I don't know how much of a help I'll be. I'm really busy next week with work and all that."

"Right," he laughs. "You're a daytime superhero."

"Not a superhero," she replies back. Still her mothers daughter; stubborn as ever.

"Fine a princess," he teases. "Sleeping beauty, who should be going to sleep."

"Not tired," she protests. "Maybe you should tell me a story."

"A story?"

"Yep."

"Fine," he gives in, though she can hear a sound of joy in his voice. "There once was a princess named Kate, but she wasn't an ordinary princess. No, Kate didn't need a prince to save her because she could save herself. She was actually a ninja."

She lets out a puff of laughter and her eyes slip closed. She can almost see it. Castle propped up against the headboard, while she's tucked into his side. One of his hands are tangled in her hair while the other one traces patterns on her arms. She can almost imagine the warmth of his chest as her head presses against it.

"Goodnight Kate."

It's the last thing she hears before she fades into sleep.


	5. Awkward phone calls

She wakes up a few minutes before her alarm, reaching for her phone first to turn the inevitable noise off. There's a text message waiting for her and a smile spreads across her face when she sees it's from Castle.

 **Hope your head is feeling better. Maybe go easy on the coffee this morning huh? Sorry, bad joke ;)**

It's such a simple message, a few sentences strung together with an underlying joke laced through and the reaction that settles within her is pathetic. Her smile widens at the sweet message, a total overreaction for what is just some simple words from a friend.

Friend... Friend. Friend. Friend.

She's only known Castle for a week and he's already proving to be somewhat...special. He's only one of the few people who can draw a smile from her, let alone a full laugh. And he's the only guy, besides the boys and her captain, she's been around since Will left. And it's refreshing. She finds that she doesn't mind smiling around him, that she doesn't mind being a bit carefree because he doesn't _know_ yet.

Castle's great and all but he doesn't need to know the dark corners of her mind, her past and why she chose to be a detective. There's a slim possibility that he'll be in her future for much longer anyway. Once he wins Kyra back, she has little hope he will stay in her life, so there's no reason to tell him.

He's nice, after all. A great distraction for her thoughts to stray towards when she's fixing herself a coffee or completing paperwork, and a person who she so easily gets along with. But she wouldn't want to burden her problems onto him.

Kate lets out a sigh, running a hand through her slightly knotted hair and sliding her legs out from under the covers. The cool air hits them immediately, goosebumps rising as her feet plant on the cold, wooden floor.

She has a little over an hour until she has to be at the precinct, so Kate goes straight to the bathroom, trusting in her routine that the coffee machine will startup automatically, giving her time to shower.

Kate pads quietly towards her bathroom, leaving her phone on the bathroom counter as she turns on her shower.

* * *

He's been stressing for the last couple of weeks and his mother notices.

"Honestly Richard, you need to take a break from everything," Martha says on a sigh, applyinmg some type of green goop onto her face.

Castle pulls a face and shudders at his mother's latest face mask, looking back down into his pitch black coffee. Black, because he most definitely needs the pick me up.

"What has you so stressed out anyway?" Martha asks distractedly, continuing with her application of the green goop that– smells like a mix of pistachios and wasabi?

Castle sighs, resting his cheek against his propped up elbow and leaning forward onto the granite counter thumbing the handle of his mug.

"I'm not stressed out–"

"Per se," his mother interjects, brushing her hair back.

Castle huffs before he continues. "It's just with the upcoming book release and everything with Kyra," he cuts himself off with a sigh, running a hand through his already mussed hair. "It's just not what I expected to happen."

"And what did you expect to happen?" Martha questions, her voice soft and full of curiosity.

Her son is an adult, but deep down he is still that little boy full of so much life and adventure. It's been a journey, watching her son grow into the man he is today and she knows she's still got a long way to go, more memories to see and create but just like any parent, she wants to see her son to be carefree. She doesn't want him to be so stressed out when he's got so much to be stress free about.

"I thought I was going to have the fairytale," her son states honestly. "I thought that Kyra and I would still be together and we'd be starting a family in a couple of years." He goes silent, waiting for his mother to voice her thoughts on the situation.

Martha eyes her son carefully, taking notice of the bags under his eyes but also the slightly visible laugh lines.

She decides to switch the from the weighing topic and focus on something a little lighter. "Are you really okay Richard? Have you been getting adequate sleep?"

A light blush manages to stain his cheeks, visible to Martha even though his head is ducked. It shocks her really. Her son has always been a smiler or smirker, but never someone who blushed.

"I ah– went to bed a little later than usual," he replies vaguely, the blush fading slightly.

"Oh?" Martha says, her voice full of tease and knowing. "So was Kyra the certain someone I heard on the phone with you last night?" She asks with an over exaggerated wink.

A look of horror and guilt sweeps across his face, widening his eyes and dusting his mouth into a frown.

"It wasn't Kyra," he admits sullenly, quietly. "It was a new girl– woman, I met last week."

Martha's eyebrows shoot to the roof, her mouth opening as she takes in her son.

"Oh," she nods, forehead creasing and eyebrows furrowing. "And this new woman..."

"Her name's Kate," Castle supplies to her unasked question. "I accidentally called her last week and then it ended up being an apology over coffee the next day. I met with her yesterday too."

"And you didn't care that she could've been a serial killer or crazy fan?" Her voice is filled with wonder but her eyes are wide with worry.

Rick chuckles, shaking his head. "No, she's actually a cop. She's pretty, funny and smart. I'm surprised she doesn't have a boyfriend," he lets out, finishing with a gulp of his coffee and a shrug.

"Darling," Martha injects, her voice a low whisper as the term of endearment slips out automatically. "Richard, you have to let the poor girl down."

Castle draws up short, shooting his mother a confused glance."What do you mean?"

Martha rolls her eyes, waving a hand about in the air. "I'm talking about letting Kate down before it gets too far," she explains slowly. "If she's as nice as you say she is, then maybe she's waiting for more. You shouldn't allow this girl to be a rebound to Kyra."

"Rebound to Kyra? Mother," Rick starts, exasperated and surprised. In no way had he ever thought that Kate was a rebound or more than a friend. Kate was his friend and even though they'd only known each other for a little while, he was thankful he had met her.

"Kate's just a friend," he emphasized, standing up properly. "I've never thought of her as a rebound and I don't think she feels that way about me." He finishes his explanation by moving around the counter, rinsing his cup in the sink before placing it into the dishwasher.

"She's a great friend. So great that she's helping me win Kyra back," he relays with a triumphant smile.

Martha regards her son wearily, finishing up with the green goop bowl and rinsing it in the sink.

"How might she be helping you?" Martha asks, clasping her hands on a dry towel.

Castle tilts his head in thought, taking a small sip of his coffee.

"I'm actually not sure," he reveals with a small furrow of his eyebrows. He opens his mouth to speak when his phone starts ringing.

"Ah, that's my cue to leave then," Martha acknowledges, her eyes gliding towards the stairs. "But we will finish this conversation later," she adds on with a pointed look.

"Looking forward to it," Castle bites back sarcastically, reaching inside the pocket of his robe and pulling out his phone. His face lights up as he sees the caller ID.

"Rick Castle speaking," he smirks cockily, drinking down the last sips of his coffee.

"Rick Castle?" She laughs, a delightful sound that sends a shiver down his spine. "Since when do you answer your phone like that?"

Castle rolls his eyes, moving off his stool and around the counter. He quickly rinses the cup, balancing the phone between his ear and shoulder before he loads the cup into the dishwasher.

"I thought it would be nice to be a little different," he explains before giving his voice a teasing note. "I'm not Miss Little Boring, like you."

Kyra huffs, the sound echoing into the receiver. "I am not boring," she protests.

"Kyra, you ordered a normal hamburger with a vanilla milkshake, once. You can't get any more boring than that."

"Hey!" Kyra exclaims. "Vanilla is great."

"In coffee," he replies quickly, not missing a beat. He moves through the loft, walking into his office and sinking down into his desk chair.

It goes silent for a minute as Castle waits for Kyra to reply.

It's awkward, leaves him wondering when they became so out of sync. He's only slightly strung as he waits for a reply, a reply that should be so easy because the conversation is so simple. And in his and Kyra's relationship, they used to be so good with banter, just like him and Kate are.

It's never been awkward with him and Kate, (minus the first time he accidentally called her). He shudders just thinking about it. But with Kate, everything flows easily and it's all fun and laughs. Kate's just someone he gets along with and– _No!_

Kyra. Kyra's the person he's supposed to be thinking about because Kyra's the person he loves.

"Rick?" Kyra asks softly, her voice sending butterflies into his stomach.

"Still here," he responds waiting a beat to make sure he doesn't sound too desperate.

"Are we still okay for Thursday?"

Castle nods enthusiastically before realizing she can't see him. "Yeah, still picking you up at 8?"

"Yeah, that's perfect," she replies, her voice still soft. "Rick?"

"Yes?"

"I know we're kind of in a weird place but...could we just take it slow? Find our footing?" She requests quietly.

Slow. It's not what he wants, has never been someone who wants to go slow. He was always one of those people to dive in first into the pool and it seemed a little irrelevant to go slow. They had already been dating for 2 years, had connected in _more_ than slow ways and uttered _those_ words.

But she was right. They were in shaky ground and slow was – slow would be okay.

"Slow. Yeah, we can go slow," he agrees, feeling only slightly dejected. He wishes that they could go back to where they were before but he's still happy that she hasn't gone completely cold turkey on him.

"Okay. Well, see you Thursday," Kyra finishes.

"See you Thursday."

He hangs up with a fist pump, the realization that he's going to be seeing her on Thursday making him a lot more excited than he should be.

He's buzzing, literally jumping about in his chair as the urge to skid around in it comes to mind. Thursday. He has 6 more days until he gets to see Kyra and he needs to make plans.

He should take her to the little Mexican joint she loved so much, maybe they could go to another show too. Or they could go to the annual Shakespeare in the park, Kyra always did love Shakespeare. Maybe he could make her dinner during the day. He was always free on Thursdays. Gina was always busy so she never arranged any meetings and he only ever– _Kate._

Shit, no. He couldn't make Kyra dinner if he was going to his usual coffee date with Kate. No, not a date. Kate was a friend and it wouldn't be wrong of him if he met with Kate and then Kyra, would it?

Castle shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. It didn't work, in fact it had made them more jumbled together.

"Okay," Rick murmured under his breath, leaning his elbows against his desk and placing his head in his hands. "Just do both. See Kate in the morning and Kyra in the afternoon."

Yep, it was still going to be weird no matter which way he looked at it.

"Oh darling, are you talking to yourself?" Martha asks from the doorway.

Castle looks up from his hands towards the open office door to see his mother standing there. Her face is free of the green gloop and slightly shiny. She's dressed up in a pressed skirt and blazer, feet free from heels. Huh, no wonder he didn't notice her coming. That or he just wasn't paying attention.

"Oh, please tell me I don't have to have you committed to a mental asylum," Martha exclaims dramatically, inching further into the office.

"You do not have to have me committed to a mental asylum," Castle reassures, sending his mother a sarcastic roll of his eyes. "But you do have to help me with my current predicament."

Martha lets out an over the top groan before gracefully settling down into one of the chairs.

"Okay kiddo, lay it on me. What trouble have you gotten into today?"

Castle sighs loudly, sitting up straighter in his chair. "I just finished talking to Kyra and we agreed to take things slow. We have a date this Thursday," he relays to her.

"That's excellent," Martha says, clapping her hands excitedly. "So what's with the long face?"

"Well firstly, the conversation with Kyra wasn't exactly...it was awkward," he supplies for his mother, a bit sheepishly. "And on Thursdays I usually meet with Kate."

"What if somebody sees you with both Kate and Kyra? That's great page six material but gives you a terrible reputation and image," Martha points out and dammit, she's right.

"But Kate's trying to help me win Kyra back," he whines with a pout. "The only advice about women I get, is from you. Kate's more helpful, no offense"

Martha brushes off the comment but shoots him a look.

"Richard, stop pouting, it gives you wrinkles" his mother chastises before sighing with an elaborate arm gesture. "I'm not saying you don't have to see Kate, I'm just saying that you should make sure Kyra doesn't get the wrong idea."

Castle tilts his head to the side. "The wrong idea?"

"I have no doubts that the media will portray you as a playboy if they see you with Kate and Kyra, in the same day. And I do admit that it would be a little weird but I know you. I know that if you say that you and Kate are just friends, then you're just friends." Martha finishes with a pat on the knee for her son, before she stands up and brushes her hands down her skirt.

"Okay Kiddo, I'm off!" She announces swiftly, her change of subject almost giving her son whiplash. "There's an extravaganza down at the plaza that requires my presence."

Castle gives her a nod, standing to peck his mother on his check. His head slightly hurts from the quick change in subject and his mother's swift personality switch.

"Don't wait up!" Martha calls to him, closing the front door and echoing silence around the loft.

Castle drops back down into his desk chair with a not very graceful thump. He kicks his legs up onto the desk, leaning back and lacing both hands behind his head.

Castle had no idea what he was going to do. Of course he was going to see Kyra, but he also wanted to invest in Kate's help. Maybe he could call her on Thursday or something, explain the situation a little more thoroughly.

No, he had a way better idea.


End file.
